The Nutley public safety and police departments sponsored a Neighborhood Watch/Crime Prevention meeting at Town Hall.

Nutley Mayor and Public Safety Commissioner Alphonse Petracco attributed a lower crime rate to the police department as well as citizens.

"Nutley residents are not afraid to open their mouths and get involved, and that's very important," Petracco said.

"Right now, we have around 60 police officers, but we can't do it all," the mayor said. "There are approximately 30,000 people in Nutley. When you have 60,000 eyes on the street, it makes a big difference."

"Be our eyes and ears, and help us report suspicious activity," Strumolo added.

Crime report

According to the state Uniform Crime Report, Nutley reported 307 crimes in 2013, compared to 323 the previous year.

According to Strumolo, the township had a problem with car burglaries, about 80 reported in 2013. In most cases, the car doors were unlocked, he said.

"On any street, probably eight out of 10 cars are [left] open," Strumolo said. "Help us and help yourself: Lock you car."

Domestic violence grew from 202 to 224 cases, according to Strumolo.

"It's something we don't have control over," the chief said. "We try to do the best we can to limit [these] cases."